Affection
by TheEzyGuy00
Summary: The story of adventures, silliness, craziness, and the bonding between Trainers and their team, told from the eyes of their beloved Pokémon. What are their thoughts on the journey so far? Rated T for their (superbly) potty mouth.
1. Chapter 1: Charizard

**A note before we start: This fic takes place at the gameverse, so there's no Ash, Yellow, Emerald, etc. All events and timelines are according to what happened in the games with a slight change.**

#006 - Charizard

"Red! Congratulations on getting to the Hall of Fame!"

"I'm proud of you, sweetheart!"

"He's just lucky, if we have a rematch, I could win easily next time."

I only managed to smile when the people congratulated my trainer on his latest achievement (Blue being the sole exception), watching them enjoying themselves with the party Red's Mother threw in her house. They were all proud of him. Of course, no one would've believed a 10 year old kid managed to make it to the Hall of Fame all by himself. Well, Red himself couldn't believe he managed to do so, and he didn't expect to battle Blue in a Champion Match either, then later, overthrowing Professor Oak's grandson from his reign as a Champion.

I leaned against the door frame and crossed my arms, staring at the starry evening sky while tuning out the cheers and applause emanated from the house. Well, making it to the Hall of Fame was the biggest accomplishment we could do... maybe I can also include disbanding Team Rocket. I have to admit, how does the entire Kanto Police Force encountered problems with them while some 10 year old can lay down some beatings into those chumps effortlessly? I never knew, it remains a mystery, maybe kids can be more competent than adults sometime.

"Blue, remember what I told you." Professor Oak stepped in before Red and his grandson got into another quarrel with each other. "Pride and fame isn't going to get you anywhere, you'll have to learn how to gain trust and love from your Pokémon before you have the chance for a rematch."

I let out a stifled chuckle escaped from my mouth at the Professor's remark. Blue's ego couldn't get any bigger than it already is, when compared, it'll put a Snorlax into a shame... in the terms of size, anyway. While Red doesn't have the natural skills in battling, he still got the brains when it comes to Moves and Typing matches. Blue got what it takes when he's training his team and beating stronger trainers, but only if his arrogance haven't gotten the best of him yet. Leaf... I can't say she's good in any of those, she merely tagged along with Red for the entire journey, but she sure knows how to treat every Pokémon like a royalty. I think she's capable of running a daycare of her own someday.

" _Too occupied with your thoughts? I was wondering why you didn't join the party with your trainer._ " A new voice said, I can sense bitterness in every word, no doubt about it.

Turning to the source of the voice, Blue's Blastoise walked over and flopped onto the ground, a sigh escaped his mouth. A clear sign of exhaustion. I couldn't blame him, really. I put on a lot more challenge than he expected, even to the point where I literally threw the type advantage he had out of the window and defeated him with a single Fire Blast. It was a miracle how I won that final battle, then again, Blue has a point; Maybe we were just _lucky_.

Well, logic aside, it's all over and done with. But Blastoise looked rather miffed, he seemed mulling over on our battle earlier, or... why I suddenly rambled on in my inner monologue. Why did it took a while for me to answer him? I probably made myself like an idiot for standing here while too caught up in my own thoughts.

" _I can't, really,_ " I simply answered, earning a questioning look from the Shellfish Pokémon, I probably didn't make it clear for him, " _you don't think a flying fire breathing lizard like me would fit between the humans, right? Besides, there aren't much room left inside the house, since Red's Mother invited a bunch of people in._ " I pointed out, glacing back at the house's living room where the small celebratory party took place. Aside from the people I mentioned, there are also Leaf and her Mother, and some other people I haven't seen or known at all.

Finally getting my point, Blastoise gave me one of those mischievous smirks, possibly plotting some kind of revenge at me. He's always getting on my case since we were first picked by the Dex holders, much like how Blue would do to Red, the memories are still fresh in my mind. Personally, I think Blastoise had a bit of Blue's personality imprinted inside him.

Speaking of which, I still remember when we were all still unevolved, kept inside our Poké Balls and sat on the table of Professor Oak's lab, waiting for the kids to arrive and pick us as their first Pokémon partner. Truth to be told, I wasn't expecting to get picked. Considering I have type disadvantage against three out of eight types Gym Leaders specializes in Kanto region, it would be obvious that I'll get ignored again this time. Most trainers usually went with the one that'll help them in the long run, and I couldn't see myself fit for that condition.

But when I first saw Red, I wasn't so sure a snotty and smiley kid like him would pick me as his starter Pokémon, but the look in his eyes told me otherwise. That fiery passion and steely resolve, they somewhat resembled a Fire-type Pokémon. I was somewhat glad to be picked though, it kind of relieved me that I finally found someone I can depend on, it's also my chance to see the outside world. All I did in the lab was dozing off on the table for the whole day to kill time and boredom. Just eat, sleep, and play with other Pokémon until I have to return to my ball for the night. Not that I mind with that, but it was good to have a change in your life.

I became his responsibility starting that day, Red said I have to trust him no matter what, and... I just did what he said, I guess. Well, until that self-centered, cocky brat, Blue, challenged Red to battle, even with Professor Oak and Leaf trying to convince them not to battle in the lab. That kid was pushy, as always.

Red didn't said anything for the entire battle, despite Blue's remarks about his Squirtle being stronger than me and his other annoying comments. Nope, he didn't retort a single thing, just standing behind me with a serious expression etched on his face. The only time he talked was to give out the order for the move I need to use or when I have to avoid the attacks. Even more, I can't really tell how he felt or what he was thinking from his face. Huh, weird kid.

Considering he's a rookie Pokémon Trainer, Red almost have no knowledge of Type Matchup. And that gave us our first and _last_ loss ever. Red had learned quickly, the hard and painful way that Fire-type didn't fare well against Water-type. I knew I shouldn't be distrustful to him, not yet at least, I might just give the kid a few more chances before I have to start disobeying him and throwing Ember at his face.

It wasn't an adventure without a couple of shenanigans. For instance, we wandered off to Route 16 that time, after catching a Mankey for his team, both Red and Blue were promptly kicked out from the Pokémon League for having zero badges. That's when our luck starting to turn around, when Red finally able to beat that Blue kid, and for the first time ever, I felt some sort of intuition, possibly because of the thrill and excitement from the battle. Leaf also went and challenged us shortly after that, but she already knew her loss was coming. That's also the time that we started our unstoppable winning streak against our rivals and Gym Leaders alike, I was in such good mood that I felt like I can even took on a Water-type Gym!

As Red continued to fill up the PokéDex, I kept meeting all sorts of new Pokémon, and it made me wonder how big the outside world is. Oh, and speaking of the devil, remember what I said about Blue? Scratch that, the Pikachu Red caught in Viridian Forest was even _worse_ than that kid, this one is a pure spoiled brat for some reason. Even going as far as shocking Red just because he didn't like him. Well, gee... at least Red's Rattata or Nidoran didn't dare to lay a fang on him. And that mouse better learn some damn respect before shocking our Trainer around like that! I think I'll age faster the more I'm yelling like this.

There are a few times when I was irritated by my Trainer. We finally reached Pewter City two days after we left off from Pallet Town, and Red went to challenge Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader who specializes in Rock-type. To this day, I was still pissed off that he put me against something as huge and strong like an Onix! It's not my fault though, Red had no other option, Mankey and Nidoran already dealt decent damage. Pikachu was out of question since he'd shock Red again, so I was the only one left, it's just the matter of winning the match since this one is Brock's last Pokémon. Luckily, I learned Metal Claw just in time to land the finishing blow on that huge rock snake.

We breezed through Mt. Moon, and still, Pikachu won't obey Red in any way. So he was forced to use me and other Pokémon in his team most of the times on our trip through the mountain and during the encounter with Team Rocket, I don't understand why he won't release the obnoxious mouse and find a new one, preferably, another species of Electric-type. I was about to have enough of that Pikachu when he literally disobeyed Red when a horde of Zubats attacked us, if it wasn't for my own trainer stopping me in my track. Saying that Pikachu just needs a little bit more time to settle in. I'm clearly not amused with his statement, I've never held this much of a grudge before, but worry not, that Pikachu will get what's coming to him soon.

I eventually met Bulbasaur that will later become part of Red's permanent team on Route 23, during the battle with Misty, Pikachu - for once, _actually_ took part in that battle. Willingly to replace the already weary Bulbasaur against that beast of a Starmie, I have to admit, despite his stubbornness, he packs quite a punch by taking out Starmie with a few Thundershock. But that still doesn't make me let go of my grudge just because he helped us in one battle. He only took on Misty because he can beat those Water-type and prove that he can be more competent than the rest of us, not because he finally obeyed Red. This one seriously needs to be hit on the face, twice, with a Giga Impact, by a Snorlax no less.

A few weeks later, we reached Celadon City by the time Red had all three Kanto starters in his team at their second stage, and... well, he also managed to get Pikachu obeyed him on a couple of occasions, but not every time, he's still disobeying Red when he got the chance. We followed a suspicious looking guy and found a secret base underneath the Game Corner, guess what? It was Team Rocket's hideout. There are many cages filled with Pokémon. Poké Balls in crates, boxes, and containers, ready to be sold and shipped away. Obviously none of these belonged to them at all, considering they are criminals and all. They sold those Pokémon for several thousand Pokédollars, by using the slot coins as payment. Imagine how many people wasted their time and money here, unknowingly helping Team Rocket's business grow...

Truthfully, I never want to go back there again, I can already smell unhappiness and dread all the way from upstairs, I can tell Red was feeling uneasy with the atmosphere here. A man by the name of Giovanni was responsible for the entire operation, and while we could easily sweep the Raticate, Zubat, and Koffing the grunts tried to sent at us, this man was something else. I'm telling you, even Wartortle and Ivysaur was having an issue dealing with Rhydon and Rhyhorn, despite the double type advantage they had.

Red was ticked off that the boss of Team Rocket had fled the scene before the Celadon Police arrived, but hey, at least we didn't get caught as a random vigilante during that evening. I was thankful, dealing with the Police would be more troublesome than Team Rocket.

I evolved into Charizard once we obtained the Rainbow Badge from Erika the next day, this was the first time I got the chance to shine in a sanctioned match, and it felt really good. After we earned the Soul Badge from Koga, I took the liberty to give Red a ride to Saffron City for his next gym challenge. Unfortunately, Team Rocket already overrun the entire city and took over the Silph building. Where are the authorities when you need them? Is there really nobody to stand up against these bothersome bunch? Those were one of few unanswered questions I had.

Luckily however, Blue and Leaf was around during the crisis. And we devised a suicidal plan to infiltrate Silph building and kick Team Rocket out of Saffron, I know it sounds crazy, but the fate of the world now rest in the hands of ten year old Trainers. If they ever got their hands on the Master Ball, the world is surely doomed.

That moment was the last time Pikachu ever disobeyed Red without regretting it. While Blue and Leaf are busy moping the lower floors, we encountered Giovanni once more at the CEO room. Forcing the president to sign a deal with Team Rocket, we butted in right on time before the deal was done, and challenged the man into battle. This battle was different than the last time, somehow we were... struggling against this guy. Venusaur and Blastoise were out, the Lapras Red just received was KO'd with a single Rock Tomb from Rhydon, and since the opponent was a Nidoqueen, Red decided to send me out since I was immune to Ground-type attacks.

But boy, that was regrettably the biggest mistake Red has ever made... That blasted Nidoqueen knows Surf! And worse yet, the second attack wasn't directed at knocking me out, but it was aimed at Red and Pikachu. My trainer frustratingly trying to get Pikachu to use Quick Attack to interrupt the attack, and the only thing that crossed my mind was to shield them from the attack. But my instinct told me to counter the attack, so with my last bit of strength, I stepped between Red and the Nidoqueen, and tried to counter the Surf with a Flamethrower. I thought I managed to nullified the attack... turns out it merely spelled a disaster on us as an explosion rang across the city. Rendering the power in the building out of commission. Giovanni used the window of opportunity to escape with his helicopter from the hole we made, fortunately, he didn't have the Master Ball with him.

When I found Red, he was unconscious from shielding Pikachu from the explosion, his injury was only limited to cuts and small bruises. It was partly my mistake, I know I could've bring down the entire roof on us. Ugh, why did I come up with the conclusion that I can stop the Nidoqueen's Surf? And if it wasn't for Blue and Leaf arriving in time, Red's condition possibly worse than it already is.

So we just sat on the waiting lobby of the Pokécenter with the two humans, waiting for our trainer to come back to his senses. While the rest of Red's team are currently being healed, Pikachu and I refused to go back to our balls until we can see him, although we could use some healing as well. It was a bit awkward since no Pokémon were allowed to stay outside their Poké Ball inside every center, the only other Pokémon who were outside their balls are the staffs and the nurse's assistants, and judging at our grime covered selves, it was no wonder we received a stare every time someone walked by.

When Red had woken up, I was astonished that the first thing he ask was how Pikachu and I were doing, even through his weariness and injuries, he still managed to smile. He told Pikachu that he wasn't mad at all, and in fact, he too was worried about us. I'm pretty sure Pikachu cried for the whole night at his words, then we all just fell into one, giant happy hug. Unfortunately, Leaf still managed to scold him for his reckless action as if she was his mother, despite the, err... well, it's best if we just keep the real cause of the explosion, okay? I seriously don't want to get on her bad side.

We finally put an end to Team Rocket in Viridian City after we had obtained our seventh badge, it came as a huge shock to us that the leader of Viridian City Gym is Giovanni himself, moreover the discovery that the Gym was a hideout for Team Rocket until they fully regained their strength. I should've known Red's recklessness would only bring us closer to trouble, one thing's for sure, he made a deal with Giovanni that if he win, Giovanni have to disband Team Rocket once and for all, and if he lose... uh, I dunno if I should mention this. But if Red lose, he have to _serve_ under Giovanni in Team Rocket for the rest of his life.

I always believed in Red, I still remembered the exact thing he said to me the first time we met: " _Trust me, no matter what happened_ ", I kept holding on to those words, even at desperate times like this. Even Pikachu probably understand what he meant by that. It was as if Red brought in a miracle by defeating Giovanni, because... Arceus be damned if we lost on that fateful day, but I can assure you, that wasn't the only miracle happened in our journey.

When we finally reached the Pokémon League, we thought that Red can finally sit at the Champion's throne after we defeated Lance. But of course, a _certain_ person was always one step ahead of us. Blue. He already went and defeated the Elite Four beforehand. And just like I said earlier, another miracle was brought in when I defeated Blastoise. It was just like our first battle in Professor Oak's lab. And that's how we got here, celebrating the party in Red's house in the first place.

Oh, look at the time, looks like I've wasted your time by my inner monologue, and Blastoise already took that time by aiming his water cannons at me, ready to fire in any second...

Wait, what?!

"In that case, I'll have to force you!" And there he goes, firing a huge torrent of water at me, a Hydro Pump. Somehow, my legs and wings were frozen in place, unable to move an inch from their position. And a few seconds later, I found myself thrown into Red's house from the sheer force, wrecking a table before landing with a thud on the floor. Possibly also ruining the party, as everyone stared at me in shock, I was thankful nobody was in my way during my time in the air. That son of a female Houndoom...

Red promptly scurried over towards me, obviously to check how I'm doing, I held my claw in the front of him as a way to tell him that I was okay. I've dealt with Water type attacks before, Red trained me to avoid and endure these kinds of move, so I shrugged off the Hydro Pump like it was a mere Water Gun move. Blastoise was laughing, of course, even the humans can tell it by his expression.

"Hah! See? My Blastoise even demanded for a rematch!" Blue exclaimed with glee. Well, I don't think blasting some Pokémon with a Hydro Pump to their face is a way to ask for a rematch, Blue. "C'mon, let's have a rematch, Red! Here, and now!"

Oh, no matter. Blastoise is surely in for a walloping. I've defeated him before, I'm sure I can do it again. Now's the time to bring down that smug face to the ground, for the second time.

"Blue! This isn't the time and place for-"

"It's alright, Professor Oak. I got this." Red cut in before Professor Oak finished his sentence, he got his confident smirk back to his face, and I knew he was more than ready to battle again. I nodded and got to my feet, ignoring the mess I made on the floor. I'm gonna have to apologize for that later, even though it's Blastoise's fault. Then again, someone can get pulverized from the force of Hydro Pump if I had sidestepped that attack. "If Blue wanted a rematch, I'll be privileged to give him one."

Professor Oak facepalmed with a sigh, "For Pete's sake, you both are pushy..."

Well, another day, another adventure, I suppose.


	2. Chapter 2: Typholsion

**A/N: Whew, sorry for making you guys waiting for so long, here's chapter 2!**

* * *

#157: Typholsion

What does it feel like being part of the strongest team in the world?

Well, there are plenty of reasons why I wanted to be part of it.

One: You get the chance to travel all time, collecting badges and beating the hell out of the bad guys.

Two: ...err, it just feels awesome? I mean, everyone wants to be the part of the strongest team in the world. That being said, why are we hiking up an Arceus-forsaken mountain of death where nobody has dared to set foot on?

Well, my trainer received an information from Professor Oak that the current strongest Trainer is training here. Without a second thought (and permission to pass the guards), he waltzed into the mountain to challenge this Trainer. After collecting all 16 badges of the Kanto and Johto Pokémon Gyms, he felt like he can take on any trainer around the world.

We've heard the rumors that the Pokémon around these areas are stronger than any other. They weren't wrong, even I was having problem with a Tangela despite having the type advantage. So we decided to train a bit on the foot of the mountain before heading up there. One question still remained, if we can't last for one night here, how are we supposed to go against that Trainer who resides on the peak of the mountain? We're going to get our asses whooped.

My name's Typholsion... well, as you can tell, I'm a Typholsion. I know, it's rather uncreative to not nickname your Pokémon and leave them to their original name. But I can't blame Ethan, he gave a nickname for me, once, when we first met at Professor Elm's lab. As a Cyndaquil, Ethan noticed that I can flare up the flames on my back whenever I intended to, so he figured out that "Explotaro" would be a perfect nickname for me.

...I immediately threw an Ember at his face, and he decided to not give me a nickname since then. I mean, come on, that was the most horrible pun ever used as a nickname. Just because I looked like an exploding taro out of all things as a Cyndaquil, doesn't mean he can just name me like that! If he ever come up with another pun-induced nickname, he'd better be ready for an Eruption on his face.

Other than me, Sparks was one of Ethan's most trusted Pokémon in our team. She was a Mareep when Ethan caught her at Route 23. Now she's an Ampharos capable of handling a Dragonite by herself. It was a reasonable nickname for her, as she nearly shocked our trainer a few times before she was able to take control of her own electrical powers. Whenever there are some wild Water type around, or swimmers, she saw no reason to not go and challenge them to battle. That's why she decided to go by the name "Sparks". An utterly fitting nickname for a reckless Ampharos.

We've been wandering around Mt. Silver's cave for at least a day, and we're already halfway through it. Ethan's sense of direction is amazing.

Just kidding, it's actually hopeless. Did I fool you?

Not even an hour into the cave, and we're already lost. An impressive record. He put me and Sparks into patrol duty in case if some wild Golbat or Graveler ambush us while we're walking. I know it sounds crazy putting a Fire- and Electric-type against something like a Graveler of all Pokémon, but hey, not everything about my trainer is bad, despite all my complaining earlier.

I also wonder why Ethan couldn't ask Skarmory to fly us up there instead of wandering around the cave with no idea of where we we're going. but judging from the height of Mt. Silver, even an armored bird probably couldn't stand the freezing temperatures up there...

While most of people would look down on Ethan as a snobby, bratty, yet overconfident kid who goes around Johto to collect Gym badges and kick some criminal's ass, you gotta trust me when I say he's a brilliant strategist in battle. Whenever we were pushed into a corner, he always had some crazy ideas to turn the tides in our favor. Whether it's against someone stronger than us, or when we're in a pickle, he's gotten us out of trouble many times. While he didn't have a perfect record in his career as a trainer, evidenced by one or two rematch against Whitney and Claire, he learned quickly from his mistakes, and made sure to cover every weakness he had. That was his way of getting stronger.

So, what was really the point of our journey and training? Some people asked us that question as we traveled. I can could that Ethan was tempted to answer "for money and girls" at some point. In the end, he resorted to the most logical answer for it. To get stronger.

It seemed as if there wasn't a specific answer for that. My only guess is that Ethan looked up to a certain Trainer long ago, and dreamed of doing the same, or better than them, as his goal. It was a possible reason why he was motivated to start his own Trainer adventure in the first place. Heck, if it wasn't for him, nobody would stop Neo-Team Rocket wreaking havoc in Johto.

Well, there's another person who tagged along with Ethan during the course of his journey, Lyra. She's Ethan's childhood friend back in New Bark Town. Ever since she was given Chikorita to take care of, she stuck with us throughout the adventure after an incident involving a kidnapped Totodile by a certain red haired guy... err, what's his name again? Assface? Buttsex?

Like I care about his name. One thing's for sure, Ethan finally unclogged the guy's heart (and brain) and make him think about what his Pokémon felt during battles. The bond between Trainer and their Pokémon is just as important as training them to become strong. I think Lyra called it "Friendship Power".

Well, aside from the red-haired boy, there are quite a few people who were just as annoying as him. On the top of my list is that caped Dragon-type Trainer, Lance. Back at Mahogany Town when we're investigating the sudden forced evolution of Magikarp inside the Lake of Rage, he found the secret stairways that leads to the secret Rocket hideout, then said something like, "we should split up to check this place. I'll go first."

I think I can roughly translate that as "follow me and do all of the work."

Why? Well, because he freaking triggered ALL the alarms inside the hideout! Who knows what he was doing with his Dragonite that time, and it left us having to fight countless grunts with their Raticates and Golbats until we deactivated the security system. The only time he helped us is when we're about to get ganged by Ariana and her grunts, by joining us in a Multi Battle, then shut down the machine that powered the transmitter. Lance should be thankful Ethan was more forgiving than I am, if I were in my Trainer's position, I'd feed him to the pack of Gyarados at the Lake of Rage and hope Arceus would forgive the poor bastard's soul.

Oh, and there was the Goldenrod Radio Tower takeover, perhaps you've heard of it?

...Of course, it was the incident that put an end to Team Rocket once and for all. Now, I have to admit, that was more of a troublesome situation than dangerous. Lyra somehow gotten into the midst of it, along with her Meganium and Marill. So both Ethan and Lyra had to disguise themselves as the members of Team Rocket to sneak into the tower, I'm rather surprised they didn't suspect us for anything (especially because both of them were a little too short for a Rocket grunt, not to mention they're walking with a pair of fully evolved starter Pokémon beside them), I'm just gonna assume that Team Rocket doesn't have the brightest lackeys, and admins. That's for sure.

That's not all, that ginger boy was still out for revenge, and he decided to lash it out on us... by ripping our disguises off. Thus, we were forced to rush into the building, take out the grunts one by one, and freed the _real_ Director who were held captive inside the basement. I wonder why Feraligatr haven't bitten his head off by now...

After it was done and over with, the Director came in and handed Ethan a sparkling, silver feather. He didn't know what it was, but he also told us that the Kimono girls at Ecruteak City might know about it. We finally found out the true purpose of the silver feather after earning our eighth and final Gym badge from Blackthorn City (which is a pain in the ass). I was surprised to see that it was a feather of a Legendary Pokémon that resides deep within the Whirl Islands.

Well... given the circumstances that Ethan was the Trainer with "pure heart", he earned the privilege to battle and capture that Legendary Pokémon directly.

Certainly, a boy his age couldn't resist that kind of offer. That was a reward or some sort for saving Johto from Team Rocket, that clearly overwhelmed me, I don't know if I should feel happy, or shocked upon hearing it. I mean, what did that Red guy from Kanto got from getting rid of Team Rocket three years ago?

Nothing. Just his eighth Gym badge, and finally the permission to challenge the Pokémon League. At least that's what I heard. In the other hand, we got ourselves a Legendary Pokémon. Lugia to be exact, the guardian of the seas, one that able to expel powerful Aeroblast from a flick of its wings. Such a majestic, yet powerful bird...

I went a little overboard with the description, didn't I? Sorry, I couldn't resist it.

We could've swept the entire Elite 4 effortlessly with Lugia, but Ethan decided to challenge the League with the team he had trained and raised throughout our journey, and he truly earned my full respect that time. I nearly shed a tear of two from his resolve, it was really heart warming.

So, the Legendary Lugia ended up being put into a reserve Pokémon, or the nonexistent seventh Pokémon of Ethan's team. Or in a more fitting phrase; "will be used in case of emergency". Yup, that sounds about right.

" _Are we there yet?_ " Sparks asked, her head hung low while we trekked behind our Trainer, still having zero sense of where we are heading right now. " _My feet is sore, I can't feel anything with it..._ "

" _Quit complaining, we're almost there, Princess._ " I teased, earning myself a hateful glare from the Ampharos. Because we got assigned into (yet another) patrol duty, she would go to complain about the cold air, the creepy atmosphere, the wild Pokémon... anything that practically bothered her. I'm tasked to ward off any wild Sneasel and Misdreavus that has the potential to harm our Trainer, while Sparks shocked any wild Golbat that attempted to suck our blood dry. Easy task. But it's getting really tedious and repetitive because we're still lost within the cave. " _You felt it? The air is getting thinner and colder, I can tell we're close by now._ "

" _Yeah, and maybe three years later, we'll finally be out of this forsaken place._ " There goes her sarcasm again, she's clearly in cranky mood. From my past experiences, I should really keep all those teasing to myself for time being, I don't want to have another Thunder straight to my ass. Seriously, that hurts. We might not be the best in behaving, but we're still the best combination in battles nonetheless.

Earning all 16 Gym badges of Kanto and Johto Pokémon Gyms is no small feat, that was the reason that brought us here, to Mt. Silver. It was all the endeavor we've done so far, aside from taking down Team Rocket. And right now - as I said earlier, we're going to challenge the so-called strongest Trainer in the world. His Pokémon wasn't the ordinary ones you'd see in regular Trainers off the street, they are champion materials, a hardened veteran team trained in the harshness of the mountain for who knows how long.

" _The bet is still on, right?_ " Sparks asked, breaking the momentary silent that befell us earlier.

" _Yup._ " I simply answered. " _My lunch is yours if we can beat that guy in one try._ " Sparks had her smirk returned, that escalated her mood a bit.

Truth to be told, I wasn't so sure about going toe-to-toe with the Indigo League Champion from three years ago, even if we are able to bring him down to his knees, it won't be in an instant. To put it in other way, it's like you're going to challenge the final boss of a game while under equipped, then you just failed so miserably for dozens of times until you have memorized the boss's moveset, leveled up enough, and earned a better equipment to beat it.

And we're betting our lunch in this, marvelous.

Once we stepped outside the cave, the howling blizzard greeted us. I wasn't too affected by the sudden drop of temperature, but Ethan and Sparks in the other hand, wasn't faring well in the cold, they went into a sneezing fit just a few seconds later. But thankfully, it didn't last long. And we began our search for the Trainer we're looking for.

If this is where the strongest Trainer train his Pokémon, we have to come up with a plan other than cunning strategy and sheer power to overcome him. He might use the weather for his advantage, and the snowy terrain may also hinder our movement during the battle. Then again, this is his battleground, our chance of winning was shrinking the more we venture through this blizzard. But we won't going down without giving our opponent a hard time, Ethan's strategy was to restrict the opposing Pokémon's movement, driving them into a tight spot where we can finish them off, paralyze or freeze them, or cutting the distance between us and the opponent to exploit their physical weak point. It's rather difficult and risky, but they worked... well, most of the times. So it's not just about type advantages and sheer power to win. But considering our opponent is the undefeated Indigo League Champion, he will come up with something to counter our strategy.

Speaking of him, the Trainer we're looking for stood at the very peak of the mountain. Staring at the distant Kanto and Johto region below, he seemed unfazed by the strong wind and snow blowing at his face. He only wore a short sleeved jacket and a pair of baggy pants, just how did this guy didn't suffer a hypothermia by standing here all day long? Ethan was snorting because of the cold, and yet, this guy didn't even flinch a bit. Is this the result of the seemingly restless training he endured?

"Hey!" Ethan managed to find his voice between his clattering teeth, the guy turned his head slightly, I can feel his eyes staring at us over his shoulder from the shadow that covered his eyes. Is this guy supposed to be that creepy? "You're Red, right?"

We received a nod. Yup, he's definitely Red. Because no one else in the world relinquished their Champion title and went on a solitude training at the mountain of death for a few years.

"I want to challenge you to battle, would you battle me?" Ethan asked with solemn stare, he's always straight to the point without blabbering first, just how I like it.

Red turned to face us, I still couldn't see his eyes, but I could've sworn I saw a smirk formed on his lips. But he still looked silent and emotionless, despite that, I can feel something flickered inside him. Something that he has put out for a long time...

...a passion. Or something along that word.

But yeah, I can tell nobody has ever gone this high just to challenge him, most people given up halfway through the cave. And we don't. Now, Red seemed to found a worthy opponent after all these years in his exile. Believe me, we're going to give him more than just trouble in battle.

He raised his hand in the air and snaped his fingers, the sound reverberated through mountain. Silence followed after it for a few seconds, we thought that something isn't going to happen, but when a loud growl emanated from the clouds, a huge fireball dived down and landed in the front of Red. Forcing us to cover our eyes from the strong wind it created.

When the flames faded, a Charizard stood proudly in the place where the fireball landed, the blizzard seemed to slow down before disappearing completely, with the sunlight dispelled the thick mist and clouds covering the peak of the mountain. Hmm, he used Sunny Day, that's a plus for both of us I guess. I can barely see in the blizzard, anyway.

The Charizard crossed his arms, puffing a small steam from his nose. " _You know, you're the first one to made it here. It's kind of dull up here. I don't see why my Trainer had to drag me here and train for three years straight._ " He deadpanned. " _Well, not that I can complain about that to Red, he's silent as ever. I barely had anyone to talk to._ "

" _I can see that._ " I smirked, not the greeting I expected. I was thinking of 'alright, punk' or some other rude welcoming, perhaps a simple congratulations would suffice. This was better than I could hoped for.

" _So, you want a battle, huh?_ " He asked, cracking his knuckles and flexing his wings. " _After finishing my full day training, I was hoping to get some break by battling or relaxing, but only to start the same routine every day in morning, over and over again. It's getting tedious, but I'm glad you came to give me something I longed for years._ "

Huh, I'm liking this guy already. Can't say Sparks felt the same, this Charizard seemed to be a pretty straightforward Pokémon, he doesn't brag or boast about how "strong" he is like those Trainer's Pokémon we've ever battled, or trying to look intimidating. He just a type of Pokémon who enjoy battling as much as we do. We'll be sure to give him a wake up slap to train harder.

" _But, enough chit chat, let's get started now, shall we? I expect you to not give me a yawn-inducing battle."_

Red tipped his hat and smirked, simply pointing his finger at us as Charizard launched himself with blue energy surrounded his claws, it's like they trained themselves to form a mental bond that allows Charizard to figure out what Red ordered. We haven't gotten that far yet, but Ethan can 'cheat' by using hand gestures to signal his Pokémon in battle rather than yelling loudly like others would. It took us a while to memorize everything, but everything just sort of synced in our mind. For me, it was fist for Thunder Punch, a snap of fingers for Flamethrower, and the list went on and on. There was no rule that prohibited us from doing that, so we took advantage of it.

Ethan was taken aback that Red suddenly initiated the battle without his knowledge, so he promptly gave me the first order. "Quick, Thunder Punch!"

I nodded, balling up my fist as electricity charged around it, and without further ado, I leaped up in the air and aimed my punch at Charizard. Just as our moves about to collide with each other, we both smirked.

This is gonna be one hell of a fight.


End file.
